Is the Ipsy Glam Bag Worth It?

Jun 19, 2018 &middot by Alyssa

Hello! Today I want to talk about beauty with you, specifically the subscription makeup bag called ipsy. Ipsy was recommended to me by a friend, and I tried it out for 3 months at the end of last year. I’m not sponsored at all, I just wanted to share my thoughts on this particular subscription. I received the glam bags October – December, and ended up cancelling when I went abroad. Today I want to break down the ipsy glam bags, share my thoughts, and tell you if that $10 a month is really worth it!

Signing Up

Like I mentioned, ipsy is a personalized monthly makeup subscription that costs $10 a month. When you first create an account, you fill in a pretty in depth beauty quiz. They ask the basics, hair color, eye color, skin tone, and then ask how comfortable you are with makeup. I like that they ask this, because it means a beauty newbie won’t be given anything too crazy!

Next, they ask you about beauty brands you like, what kind of makeup you like best, and what type of skin/hair care products you like. I enjoyed this feature of the quiz, because I am pretty minimalist with my makeup, there are a few products I never use, and wouldn’t want in my box!

It then asks about specific shades you prefer for various makeup items, like eyeshadow, lip color, etc. I think that this is a great idea, because I will not wear certain shades of makeup! Some of the colors were a bit vague, but you are able to choose your general preferences. Make sure you ONLY choose colors you really like!

The final questions are about your specific skin and hair care concerns, whether your face is dry or oily, acne prone or sensitive. After filling out my profile and submitting my paypal information, I waited patiently for my first bag.

My Glam Bags

October

My first glam bag came in October, and came with a spooky red lace bag. The packaging was super cute, and I always find a use for small bags, so I love that you get an actual bag with each month. My first item was a loose purple eyeshadow. When I took the beauty quiz, I selected neutrals and smokey, so I didn’t really feel purple was in those zones. I also didn’t like how loose it was – it felt like it was falling off my eyes onto my face all day.

I also received 2 face masks, which were one use only. They were fine, but with only one use they felt like a bit of a cop out. There was also white nail polish, a pink liquid lipstick, and an urban decay glide on pencil.

Out of this bag, the only item I absolutely loved was the urban decay glide on eyeliner pencil. I was bummed, however, because a lot of the more expensive brand products you get in your ipsy box are only sample sizes, not even travel sized products. For cheaper brands, sometimes you get the full size. After about 4 uses, the eyeliner pencil was done.

After a couple weeks, I was able to review my glam bag, which they said would have an impact on future products I received. I was very honest, and told them the items I didn’t like and why.

November

I was very excited when they revealed the products in this month’s bag. When the bag arrived, however, it was a little disappointing. Most of the products were very small, which is hard to tell in the images they use online.

I received a scrubbing cream for my face, which was a travel size. I ended up bringing this abroad and using it when I traveled, so that was a win. There was also a hydrating treatment for my hair, which I really liked, and still use today! Unlike some products, the amount of product they gave me was great. The third product was another pink liquid lipstick. I had said I didn’t like the color in my October bag, and this was virtually identical. It seemed they had ignored my feedback.

From this bag, I was most disappointed with the two products I was originally most excited about. Mostly because of how tiny they were. I laughed out loud when I pulled out my MAC prep + prime. Honestly, I think I like the product, but really only got two uses out of it, so I can’t really tell. I also received a Benefit Cosmetics mascara. I’ve used it a couple times but didn’t love it. I am set on my Too Faced better than sex mascara!

December

At this point, I was already thinking about cancelling, but figured I would receive one last month before my study abroad. This was actually the best of the three bags, but still not enough to stop me from cancelling the service.

I received another facial scrub, which I also took with me to Germany for travel face wash. There was a smashbox cosmetics gel liner, which I loved almost as much as the urban decay liner. It only lasted about 6 uses before running out.

Next, I received two products that I still use and love. One is a mini eyeshadow duo from PIXI by Petra. I only use one side of the duo, but I love the color and it is perfect for travel when I don’t want to take my whole Naked palette with me. There was also a purple-pink liquid lipstick that I really loved. They finally got my lipstick color right.

The only bad product in this bag was the nail color. It was a bright blue, which definitely did not fit my color preferences I selected.

Overall Thoughts on IPSY

Overall, I think ipsy can be worth the cost. If you love to try new makeup, new colors, new brands, etc. then it would be perfect for you. If you’re more like me, and you have a pretty solid set of products you love, you will likely be wasting money on products that don’t quite fit the bill.

I was also a bit bummed by the sizes you receive. I understand they want to give you just enough to fall in love and buy it for yourself, but I felt on a couple of items there wasn’t even enough to decide fully.

One thing I loved unexpectedly was the little bags that came each month! They are cute and multi-functional. I used every single one while I was studying abroad to keep track of travel papers, euro coins, and American coins! My roommate and I actually realized one night that we were both using old ipsy bags as coin holders.

I don’t mean to be down on ipsy at all, I think that as a company they do a great job. Everything came on time and the products were always in good condition! For me, I just felt the $10 wasn’t really worth it, since most products I didn’t end up loving. If you love to experiment with makeup but hate the up front cost, I recommend ipsy as a way to get your hands on new products from both top name brands and hidden gems! You also have access to great beauty tips and ways to use the products you receive.

If you have an experience with ipsy or you checked it out due to this post, let me know! I would love to hear what you think!

Comments

I was an on-and-off Ipsy subscriber for a while, but I decided it just wasn’t for me. For a while, I got literally products from the same brand for a few months in a row! I agree that those bags are great, though!

I think I must have lucked out and not gotten any repeats because I was only subscribed for 3 months! I would definitely not like to get the same products multiple time! I think $10 is pretty reasonable, but only if you really utilize everything they send. Thanks for commenting Mary!

Between Birchbox and Ipsy I would totally choose Ipsy. However if you can swing it, I would TOTALLY recommend FabFitFun. They are absolutely amazing and if I wasn’t a college student fighting to live (lol) then I would be getting a box from them as much as I could!

I have never tried Birchbox or FabFitFun, but every time I see FFF boxes on social media I almost subscribe! They seem really great, but I too am definitely on a budget and just can’t swing it right now!